KR20140142140A - Sensing device for sensing position of sun, and apparatus and method for collecting sun-light using it - Google Patents

Sensing device for sensing position of sun, and apparatus and method for collecting sun-light using it Download PDF

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KR20140142140A
KR20140142140A KR20140056238A KR20140056238A KR20140142140A KR 20140142140 A KR20140142140 A KR 20140142140A KR 20140056238 A KR20140056238 A KR 20140056238A KR 20140056238 A KR20140056238 A KR 20140056238A KR 20140142140 A KR20140142140 A KR 20140142140A
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image
sun
convex lens
unit
center point
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KR20140056238A
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KR101562348B1 (en
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김성호
문대선
안서길
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군산대학교산학협력단
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    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
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    • Y02E10/50Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/52PV systems with concentrators

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensing device for sensing the position of the sun, and an apparatus and a method for collecting the sunlight using the same. The sensing device for sensing the position of the sun according to the present invention includes a body, a sunlight blocking unit, an image acquiring unit, and a control unit. The image acquiring unit is focused by a convex lens provided in the sunlight blocking unit. The shape of the focus and the focused potion are analyzed to determine the present position of the sun. The sensing device of sensing the position of the sun is rotated according to the position of the sun, so that the direction of the sun can be rotated. In the sensing device for sensing the position of the sun, and the apparatus and the method for collecting the sunlight using the same according to the present invention, the position of the sun can be tracked through a simple configuration, and errors occurring in the tracking the position of the sun can be reduced. Accordingly, the position of the sun can be exactly tracked, so that the light condensing efficiency of the sunlight can be increased.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a sun-position detecting apparatus, a sun light collecting apparatus using the same,

The present invention relates to a solar position sensor, a solar light concentrator using the same, and a solar light concentrator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sun light shield which is formed in a hemispherical shape on a body portion and a body portion, An image acquiring unit which is located on a lower surface of the sunlight shielding unit and in which an image is formed by a convex lens and a control unit which analyzes the image formed on the image acquiring unit and determines the position of the sun, , The control unit analyzes the image that has passed through the convex lens acquired by the image acquiring unit, and rotates the solar photodetector and the solar concentrator according to the analysis result, thereby enhancing the light condensing efficiency of the sunlight, Detector, a solar concentrator using the same, and a solar concentrating method.

In response to exhaustion of fossil fuels and environmental problems caused by fossil fuels, interest in renewable energy to replace existing fossil fuels is increasing. Among new and renewable energy, photovoltaic power generation is a technology to produce electricity by converting the light energy of the sun. It uses solar cells that generate electricity by photoelectric effect when it receives sunlight. Photovoltaic power generation generally consists of a solar cell module, a battery, and a power converter.

Photovoltaic power generation is provided with an unlimited supply of energy to the sun, and it can be developed as needed in the place where it is needed. In addition, there is an advantage that maintenance is easy and remote control is possible because it can be unmanned. Solar power generation is one of the long-term favorable forms of development because it can be used for more than 20 years, although the initial investment cost is high.

However, solar power generation is heavily influenced by weather and power generation depends on regional solar radiation. In order to improve the light collecting efficiency of the photovoltaic power generation, a technology for tracking the position of the sun has been developed. In addition, the registered patent No. 10-0970952 receives GPS information from a plurality of GPS satellites through a GPS antenna, And the position information of the sun including the altitude and the azimuth of the sun is extracted based on the generated position information and the time information to rotate the solar module. However, when using the information received from GPS satellites, there may be an error in the GPS information, and if there is an error in the GPS information, it is not easy to determine whether the solar module is pointing to the correct sun position. In addition, there is a disadvantage in that the configuration is complicated because communication must be performed using a separate GPS receiving device.

Therefore, it is required to develop a sun position detector and a solar light concentrator using the same, which can accurately grasp the position and direction of the sun without communicating with an external device, and can directly detect the position error of the solar concentrator module.

Patent Document 1: Korean Patent No. 10-0970952 (Published on July 12, 2010)

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solar position sensor having a high light-collecting efficiency by rotating the direction of the solar light collecting unit according to the altitude of the sun, a solar light collecting apparatus using the same, and a solar light collecting method.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solar position sensor with little error in sun position detection while manufacturing a solar position sensor at low cost, a solar light concentrator using the same, and a solar concentrator.

In order to accomplish the above object, a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body part, a solar light shielding part, an image acquisition part, a driving part, and a control part. The image capturing unit has a sensor surface disposed on the hemispherical inner circumferential surface of the solar light shielding portion toward the surface direction of the convex lens, and the sunlight shielding portion is formed on the hemispherical inner circumferential surface of the sunlight shielding portion, And the control unit controls the convex lens to follow the ecliptic of the sun according to the season and the time frame so as to position the convex lens at the approximate position of the sun, The control unit controls the driving unit so that the center point of the focus image is converged to the center point of the image obtained by the image acquisition unit, Control is performed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a position of a sun, the method comprising: an approximate positioning step, a focus image forming step, a height adjusting step, a binary focus image forming step, And following the center point. Wherein the step of arranging the approximate position corresponds to the step of positioning the convex lens in accordance with the ecliptic angle of the sun and the time zone of the sun and the focus image forming step is a step of irradiating sunlight through the convex lens to form an original image and a focus image Wherein the step of adjusting the height corresponds to the step of adjusting the height between the convex lens and the sensor so that the size of the focus image is equal to or larger than a preset reference size, Wherein the step of determining a center point corresponds to a step of determining a center point of a binary focus image by applying a Hough transform to a binary focus image, And corresponds to a step in which the center point of the binary focus image follows the center point of the original image.

In order to accomplish the above object, a solar position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body part, a solar light shielding part, an image acquisition part, and a control part. The sunlight shielding part is formed in a hemispherical shape on the body part, and has a convex lens on the upper part. The image acquiring unit is located on the lower surface of the sunlight-shielding unit, and the image is formed by the convex lens. The control unit analyzes the image formed on the image acquisition unit to determine the position of the sun.

The sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a driving unit for changing the direction of the body according to the position of the sun determined by the control unit.

In the sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention, the image acquiring unit may be formed of an illuminance sensor array.

The image acquisition unit in the sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention may be formed as an electronic screen.

In the sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention, a cross-shaped arm portion may be formed at the center of the convex lens.

In the sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit may rotate the body portion until the image determined by the control unit becomes circular.

A solar light condensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sun position sensor, a condensing unit, and a drive unit. The condensing unit condenses sunlight, and the driving unit controls the direction of the condensing unit according to the direction of the sun sensed by the sun position sensor.

In the solar light condensing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the solar position sensor includes a body portion, a solar light shielding portion formed in a hemispherical shape on the body portion and having a convex lens at an upper portion thereof, A control unit for determining the position of the sun by analyzing an image formed on the image acquiring unit and a driving unit for changing the direction of the body depending on the position of the sun determined by the control unit .

In the solar light condensing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the drive unit may rotate the condensing unit so as to be parallel to the body portion of the sun position sensor.

The solar light condensing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of receiving sunlight through a convex lens provided in a sun position sensor, acquiring an image through a convex lens, A step of rotating the direction of the solar photodetector according to a result of analysis by the control unit, a step of aligning the direction of the solar photodetector with the direction of the solar photodetector, And rotating the solar light condensing device as far as possible.

In the solar light condensing method according to another embodiment of the present invention, a coordinate system with the center as the origin is set in the image acquisition unit, and in the step of analyzing the image passing through the convex lens by the control unit provided in the solar photodetector, When the passed image is circular and the position of the image is less than a predetermined distance from the origin, the control unit can judge that the sun and the solar photodetector are in a straight line.

In the solar light condensing method according to another embodiment of the present invention, a coordinate system with the center as the origin is set in the image acquisition unit, and in the step of analyzing the image passing through the convex lens by the control unit provided in the solar photodetector, When the passing phase is not circular and the phase position is more than a predetermined distance from the origin, the control unit can judge that the sun and the solar photodetector are not in a straight line, and can control to rotate the direction of the solar photodetector.

In the solar light condensing method according to another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit analyzes the image passing through the convex lens while the solar photodetector rotates so that the image passing through the convex lens becomes circular and the position of the image is not more than a predetermined distance The direction of the solar photodetector can be rotated.

In the solar light condensing method according to another embodiment of the present invention, the solar position sensor may be formed integrally with the solar light condensing device, and the solar position sensor and the solar light condensing device may be simultaneously rotated according to the analysis result of the controller.

The sun position sensor of the present invention, the sun light concentrating device and sun light concentrating method using the same can rotate the light collecting plate according to the altitude of the sun to increase the light collecting efficiency.

The sun position sensor of the present invention, the sun light concentrating device and sun light concentrating method using the same can grasp the changing position of the sun directly so that the solar concentrator can direct the sun, and there is little error.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 (a) and 3 (b) are views showing an image acquisition unit in a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 (a) and 4 (b) are views showing an image acquisition unit in a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing that a convex lens image is formed on the image acquisition unit in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing that a convex lens image is formed on the image acquisition unit in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing that a cross-shaped arm portion is formed in a convex lens in a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8A and 8B are views showing that a phase of a convex lens formed with a crisscross arm portion is formed in the image acquisition unit in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the driving unit to rotate the sun position sensor in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view illustrating a solar light concentrating apparatus having a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view illustrating a solar light concentrating apparatus having a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 (a) and 12 (b) are views showing the rotation of the sun position sensor when the phase of the convex lens is distorted in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the driving unit to rotate the sun position sensor in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are UI (User Interface) diagrams of the control-monitoring program prepared by the present applicant for controlling and testing the sun position sensor of the present invention.
16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a sun position sensor by a driving unit in a sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference symbols as possible. Further, the detailed description of known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted. For the same reason, some of the components in the drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a sun position sensor 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body part 1100, a solar light shielding part 1200, an image acquisition part 1300, a control part 1400, a driving part 1500). The body part 1100 supports the sun position sensor 1000 and is formed of plate-shaped plastic or metal.

The solar shield 1200 is fixed on the body part 1100. The solar light shielding part 1200 is formed of plastic or the like and has a dome shape. Further, a dark film is formed on the surface or the inner surface to prevent light from being transmitted. Accordingly, a dark room is formed inside the solar light shielding part 1200. A convex lens 1210 is provided at the upper center of the sunlight shielding part 1200. Sunlight enters into the sunlight shielding part 1200 through the convex lens 1210. [

The image acquiring unit 1300 is mounted on the body part 1100 and is located below the solar light shielding part 1200. [ An image (focus) of sunlight passing through the convex lens 1210 is formed in the image acquiring unit 1300. The position of the sun can be analyzed through the shape and position of the image formed on the image acquisition unit 1300. [ The image acquiring unit 1300 is formed of an illuminance sensor array or an electronic screen.

The control unit 1400 analyzes the image of the sunlight (focus) formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 to determine the position of the sun. Depending on whether the phase of sunlight is circular or elliptical, it can be seen whether the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are located in a straight line, thereby tracking the position of the sun. Further, it is possible to determine in which direction of the sun sensor 1000 the position of the sun is located, depending on which part of the image acquisition section 1300 the sun image (focus) is located.

The control unit 1400 may control the driving unit 1500 so that the position of the image acquisition unit 1300 is previously arranged at an approximate position according to the ecliptic angle of the sun. The ecliptic of the sun may be different depending on the seasons and the seasons. The convex lens 1210 forming the sunlight focus on the image acquiring unit 1300 and the image acquiring unit 1300 may have an ecliptic You can control to look at the approximate position of the sun by following the line. Accordingly, the solar light incident through the convex lens 1210 can focus on the image acquisition unit 1300 as quickly as possible. This is because the sun position sensor according to the present embodiment can adjust the position of the sun in the shortest time . The control unit 1400 controls the driving unit 1500 so that the convex lens 1210 faces the ecliptic direction of the sun so that the body part 1100 connected to the convex lens 1210 can be disposed along the orbit of the ecliptic have.

The control unit 1400 arranges the image acquisition unit 1300 and the convex lens 1210 at approximate positions according to the sun's ecliptic and then focuses on a sensor (or a video screen) provided in the image acquisition unit 1300 As a result of the determination, if there is a focus image on the sensor (or the image screen), it can be determined that the size of the focus image is less than the reference size. The reference size may refer to a size corresponding to a range in which the focal point of sunlight formed on a sensor (or an image screen, not shown) constituting the image acquisition unit 1300 does not damage the sensor by heating. For example, the reference size may be a few millimeters to a few centimeters, and when the focal size is smaller than the reference size, the control unit 1400 controls the driving unit 1500 to move the convex lens 1210 toward the image acquisition unit 1300 . When the convex lens 1210 approaches toward the image acquisition unit 1300, the size of the focus image of sunlight formed in the image acquisition unit 1300 increases, and the increase in the size of the focused image is concentrated in the image acquisition unit 1300 The energy of the sunlight is dispersed so that the sensor included in the image acquisition unit 1300 is not severely heated or damaged. After the control of the focus image size is performed, the control unit 1400 coincides the center point of the entire image formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 with the center point of the focus image of the sunlight. For this purpose, Canny edge conversion is performed to convert the focused image into a binary focused image, thereby securing a layout for the focused image. Then, the control unit 1400 performs a Hough transform on the binarized focus image converted by the Canny edge transformation to grasp the center point of the focus image, and controls the driving unit 1500 to follow the center point of the whole image So that the convex lens 1210 can follow the center of the entire image.

Meanwhile, the controller 1400 may perform a Hough transform using a function provided by OpenCV (Open Computer Vision). In this case, the control unit 1400 must have a built-in program code for Huff conversion, and can execute the embedded code to determine the center point in the binary focus image. When the control unit 1400 uses a function provided by Microsoft's OpenCV, the function described in Table 1 below can be used.

Figure pat00001

The driving unit 1500 rotates the direction of the body part 1100 according to the position of the sun determined by the controller 1400. As the driving unit 1500, a pan / tilt apparatus can be used. The pan / tilt device is a device that can simultaneously perform up, down, left, and right movements. As shown in FIG. 2, the driving unit 1500 is positioned below the body part 1100, and rotates the body part 1100 in the up, down, left, and right directions. In this embodiment, the driving unit 1500 uses a yoke-type pan / tilt apparatus.

3 (a) and 3 (b) are views showing an image acquisition unit in a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) Fig.

The image acquiring unit 1300 may be formed of an illuminance sensor array or an electronic screen, and FIG. 3 shows the image acquiring unit 1300 formed of an illuminance sensor array. A plurality of illuminance sensors are arranged in a lattice to form an illuminance sensor array, and each illuminance sensor has a unique coordinate value on the image acquisition section 1300. Each illuminance sensor may have a value of a coordinate system in which the center of the image acquisition unit 1300 is set as the origin. The illuminance sensor array senses the illuminance at each position, and when the image by the convex lens 1210 is detected, that is, the position of the illuminated sensor is transmitted to the control section 1400. The control unit 1400 can recognize the shape and position of the image by the convex lens 1210 by analyzing the position of the sensor with high illuminance.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 4, the image acquisition unit 1300 may be formed of an electronic screen. An image of the image formed by the convex lens 1210 formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 is formed on the electronic screen, and the image is captured and transferred to the control unit 1400. Here, the electronic screen converts an optical signal of the captured image into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the controller 1400. The control unit 1400 analyzes the electrical signal to calculate the shape and position of the image. The electronic screen may be formed of a general digital camera.

FIG. 5 is a view showing that a convex lens image is formed in an image acquisition unit in a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.

Next, tracking of the position of the sun from the image of the processed convex lens 1210 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are in a straight line, the phase by the convex lens 1210 is circular. An image of a circle is formed at the center of the image acquisition unit 1300. On the image acquisition section 1300, a coordinate system having the origin of the center of the image acquisition section 1300 is set. When the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are in a straight line, the image of the convex lens 1210 is located near the origin, so the illuminance of the area near the origin on the image acquisition unit 1300 is measured to be high. That is, the controller 1400 analyzes the illuminance acquired by the image acquisition unit 1300 and determines that the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are in a straight line if it is determined that the illuminance near the origin is high.

A reference value for determining whether the image of the convex lens 1210 is located near the origin can be set in advance. A specific distance from the origin is specified in the coordinate system on the image acquisition unit 1300 and stored as a reference value in the control unit 1400. This value can be changed depending on the situation such as the weather or the place.

6, when the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun do not form a straight line, the image formed by the convex lens 1210 is distorted and elliptical, and the position of the image on the image acquisition unit 1300 is centered It is off. 6, the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed on the quadrant of the second quadrant, and the position of the sun is a direction in which the quadrant of the image capturing unit 1300 and the convex lens 1210 extend linearly, 1000) in the south-east direction. Therefore, in this case, the controller 1400 drives the driving unit 1500 to rotate the sun position sensor 1000 toward the southeast.

When the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed in the first quadrant, the position of the sun is located in the southwest of the sun position sensor 1000, and when the image is formed in the third quadrant, the sun is located in the northeast of the sun position sensor 1000, The sun is located northwest of the sun position sensor 1000 if it is formed in quadrant 4. The sun position sensor 1000 and the sun light condensing device are rotated in respective directions in which the sun is positioned so that sunlight is incident on the light condensing device at a maximum angle. The image of the convex lens 1210 is continuously analyzed while the sun position sensor 1000 is rotated to drive the driving unit 1500 until the image of the convex lens 1210 becomes circular near the origin.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the image acquisition unit 1300 is a light intensity sensor array is described. However, even in the case where the image acquisition unit 1300 is an electronic screen, the same method can be used for analysis.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a cross-shaped arm portion formed on a convex lens in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b) Is an image of a convex lens formed with a cross-shaped arm portion in the image acquisition section.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a cross-shaped arm portion may be formed at the center of the convex lens 1210 as shown in FIG.

8A shows an image of the convex lens 1210 formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 when the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun's position are on a straight line. The center of the image is marked with a regular cross-shaped arm portion, so that it is possible to more accurately determine whether the image is located at the origin of the coordinate system. In the case of FIG. 8B, the image by the convex lens 1210 is biased to one side of the image acquisition unit 1300, and the cross-shaped arm is also elongated. The driving unit 1500 may be driven until the crest-shaped arm part is positioned in the form of a regular cross shape near the origin so that the sun position sensor 1000 is in line with the sun.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which a driving unit rotates a sun position sensor in a sun position sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the sun light position sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a view illustrating a solar light concentrating apparatus having a sun position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The operation of rotating the sun position sensor 1000 toward the sun is described. As shown in FIG. 9, in order to track the position of the sun, sunlight is irradiated through the convex lens 1210 provided in the sun position sensor 1000 (S1100). The initial direction of the sun position sensor 1000 is set using an electronic compass (not shown). The altitude information of the sun along the time, place, and time and the time is stored in advance in the control unit 1400 and the initial direction of the sun position sensor 1000 is set according to the place, date and time at which the sun position sensor 1000 is installed. The focal point of the sunlight passing through the convex lens 1210 is formed in the image acquisition unit 1300.

The image acquisition unit 1300 provided in the solar photodetector 1000 acquires an image of the focal point, that is, the convex lens 1210, which passes through the convex lens 1210 and is formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 (S1200). The image acquiring unit 1300 may acquire the coordinates of the illuminance sensor whose illuminance is higher than the reference value, and the image acquiring unit 1300 may be formed of an electronic screen to capture an image of the focus, The shape and position of the lens 1210 may be obtained. The information acquired by the image acquisition section 1300 is transmitted to the control section 1400.

Next, the control unit 1400 included in the solar photodetector 1000 analyzes the image passed through the convex lens 1210 (1300). The control unit 1400 analyzes the information transmitted from the image acquisition unit 1300 to determine what form of the convex lens 1210 is in which quadrant of the coordinates set in the image acquisition unit 1300.

In operation S1400, the control unit 1400 determines whether the analyzed image is circular or within a predetermined distance from the origin, and rotates the direction of the solar photodetector 1000 according to a result of the analysis performed by the controller 1400 in operation S1500. If the image of the convex lens 1210 is distorted and formed at a position away from the origin, it is determined that the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are not in a straight line. In this case, the sun position sensor 1000 is rotated in a predetermined direction. The solar light condensing apparatus 2000 is rotated so that the direction of the sun position sensor 1000 and the direction of the sun light condensing apparatus 2000 coincide with each other.

If the shape of the analyzed image is circular and is formed within a predetermined distance from the origin, the sun position tracking process is terminated (S1600). When the sun position sensor 1000 tracks the position of the sun, the light condensing device 2000 is rotated so as to be in parallel with the direction of the sun position sensor 1000, thereby maximizing the condensing efficiency of sunlight.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 10, the solar light condensing apparatus includes a sun position sensor 1000, a solar light condensing unit 2000, and a drive unit 3000. The solar light collecting unit 2000 may be rotated by the drive unit 3000 to coincide with the direction set by the sun position sensor 1000 and may be rotated by the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun light The sun position sensor 1000 and the sun light collecting unit 2000 may be integrally rotated by integrally forming the light collecting unit 2000.

12 (a) and 12 (b) are views showing the direction of the sun position sensor when the phase of the convex lens is distorted in the sun position sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 13 In which the driving unit rotates the sun position sensor in the sun position sensor according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The operation of the sun position sensor 1000 and the condensing apparatus 2000 to track the direction of the sun will be described with reference to a specific embodiment.

[Example]

The sun position sensor 1000 is rotated toward the sun according to the shape and position of the convex lens 1210 formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 of the sun position sensor 1000. [ For example, in FIG. 12 (a), the image of the convex lens 1210 formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 of the sun position sensor 1000 is distorted, so that the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are in a straight line As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 13, in order to track the position of the sun, sunlight is irradiated through the convex lens 1210 provided in the sun position sensor 1000 (S2100). The focal point of the sunlight passing through the convex lens 1210 is formed in the image acquisition unit 1300. The image acquiring unit 1300 is formed of an illuminance sensor array.

The image acquisition unit 1300 provided in the solar photodetector 1000 acquires an image of the focal point, that is, the convex lens 1210, which passes through the convex lens 1210 and is formed on the image acquisition unit 1300 (S2200). The image acquiring unit 1300 acquires the coordinates of the illuminance sensor which is made up of the illuminance sensor array and whose illuminance is higher than the reference value, and obtains the image position information. The information acquired by the image acquisition section 1300 is transmitted to the control section 1400.

The control unit 1400 provided in the sun position sensor 1000 analyzes the image passing through the convex lens 1210 (2300). The control unit 1400 analyzes the form of the image of the convex lens 1210 and the quadrant of the coordinates set in the image acquisition unit 1300 using the information transmitted from the image acquisition unit 1300. [

The controller 1400 determines whether the analyzed image is circular or within a predetermined distance from the origin (S2400), and rotates the direction of the solar photodetector 1000 according to the result of the analysis performed by the controller 1400. [ If the image of the convex lens 1210 is distorted and formed at a position away from the origin, it is determined that the sun position sensor 1000 and the sun are not in a straight line. In this case, the sun position sensor 1000 is rotated in a predetermined direction.

If the image of the convex lens 1210 is distorted and formed at a position away from the origin, it is determined whether the image position is located in the first quadrant on the image acquisition unit 1300 (S2410). If the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed in the first quadrant, the position of the sun is located in the southwest of the sun position detector 1000, and the driving unit is driven to rotate the sun position sensor 1000 in the southwest direction (S2510).

If the position of the image is not located in the first quadrant on the image acquisition unit 1300, it is determined whether it is located in the second quadrant (S2420). If the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed in the second quadrant, the position of the sun is located in the southeast of the sun position sensor 1000, and the driving unit is driven to rotate the sun position sensor 1000 in the southeast direction (S2520).

If the position of the image is not located in the second quadrant on the image acquisition unit 1300, it is determined whether it is located in the third quadrant (S2430). If the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed in the third quadrant, the position of the sun is located at the northeast of the sun position sensor 1000, and the driving unit is driven to rotate the sun position sensor 1000 in the northeast direction (S2530).

On the other hand, if the image position is not located in the third quadrant on the image acquisition unit 1300, the image of the convex lens 1210 is formed in the fourth quadrant, and the position of the sun is located in the northwest of the sun position sensor 1000 . And drives the driving unit so that the sun position sensor 1000 rotates northwestward (S2540).

The sun position sensor 1000 and the sun light condensing device are rotated in respective directions in which the sun is positioned so that sunlight is incident on the light condensing device at a maximum angle. At this time, the image of the convex lens 1210 is continuously analyzed while the sun position sensor 1000 is rotated, and the driving unit 1500 can be driven until the image of the convex lens 1210 becomes circular near the origin.

If the analyzed image has a circular shape and is formed within a predetermined distance from the origin, the process of tracking the sun position is terminated (S2600). When the sun position sensor 1000 tracks the position of the sun, the light condensing device 2000 is rotated so as to be in parallel with the direction of the sun position sensor 1000, thereby maximizing the condensing efficiency of sunlight.

The sun position sensor according to the present invention can increase the light condensing efficiency by rotating the direction of the sun light condensing unit according to the altitude of the sun and there is little error in detecting the sun position.

14 and 15 show a UI (User Interface) of a control-monitoring program prepared by the present applicant for the control and testing of the sun position sensor of the present invention.

14A and 14B, first, FIG. 14A shows the entire image scratched by the image acquisition unit 1300, FIG. 14B shows a case where the canine edge FIG. 14 (c) shows a control screen in which the focus of the focus image follows the center of the entire image. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 14 (a), it can be seen that the focus image of the sunlight is focused on the left upper side with reference to the drawing. The fact that the focus image P0 is formed on the upper left side with reference to FIG. 14 (a) , It can be seen that the sun is located at the lower right of the drawing when viewed from the drawing. Since the sun is not disposed perpendicular to the convex lens 1210 and the image capturing unit 1300, the shape of the focused image P0 is not in the form of a circular convex lens 1210 but is expressed in an elliptical shape. Since the center point of the focus image P0 is necessary for the center point coincidence, the controller 1400 performs a cannier edge transformation on the entire image to obtain the binary focus image P1 as shown in FIG. 14 (b) Can be obtained. As shown in FIG. 14B, the binary focus image P1 can be expressed as a white ellipse with a surrounding black background, and an area other than the emphasized focused image P1 is removed as black can see. Then, the controller 1400 may perform a Hough transform on the binary focus image P0 to calculate the center point P3 of the binary focus image P1. The calculated center point is represented by "P3" shown in (c) of FIG. 14, and expressed by (74, 92) as XY coordinates. The center point P3 may correspond to the center point P3 when the ellipse is the original shape (circular). That is, the Hough transform can estimate the original shape P2 of the elliptically distorted focus image P1 to find the center point of the original shape.

FIG. 15 shows a reference diagram for a tracking process for a transformed image and a transformed image for the focus image and the binary focus image shown in FIG. 14 through the Hough transform.

Referring to Fig. 15, when Hough transform is performed on each of Figs. 14A, 14B and 14C, the transformed image corresponding to Figs. 15A, 15B, . That is, Fig. 14A is transformed into Fig. 15A, Fig. 14B is transformed into Fig. 15B, and Fig. 14C is transformed into Fig. .

The Hough transformed focus image is transformed into a circle formed by the image capturing unit 1300 through the convex lens 1210. The center points P3 and P5 of the whole image and the focus image are derived through the Hough transformed image, The center point P3 of the image can be controlled to follow the center point P5 of the entire image.

15B shows a case where the Hough transform is applied to the binary focus image shown in FIG. 15A, and the Hough transformed image is obtained by following the center point P5 of the entire image shown in FIG. 15C Can be seen. Referring to FIG. 15C, it can be seen that there is a deviation between the center point P5 of the entire image after Hough transform and the center point P3 of the focus image. If the deviation satisfies the error range It can be considered that the tracking is successful. The error range can be defined as when the center point of the focus image (Hough transformed focus image) coincides with 95% or more of the entire image (the Huff transformed whole image). The error range may be set larger or smaller And is not limited to a specific numerical value.

When the tracking through the focused image is completed as shown in FIG. 15 (c), the sun position sensor according to the embodiment terminates the tracking and enters the standby state. After a predetermined time (for example, several minutes to several tens of minutes)

1) The convex lens 1210 is arranged at an approximate position along the sun's ecliptic,

2) acquiring the entire image and the focus image through the image acquisition unit 1300,

3) Converting the whole image and the focus image into a binary image expressed in black and white by performing a canny dpt paper conversion,

4) Converts the skewed focus image to its original shape by performing Hough transform on the Canny edge converted image,

5) Repeat the process of center-tracking the binary full image and the binary focused image so that the center points of the Hough transformed images are maximally matched.

16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a sun position sensor by a driving unit in a sun position sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. The description with reference to Fig. 16 will be made with reference to Figs. 1 to 15 together.

First, in the method of detecting the sun position sensor according to the embodiment, the control unit 1400 refers to the current time, grasps the ecliptic of the sun according to the season and time, and calculates the approximate position of the sun (S3100). After determining the approximate position of the sun, the control unit 1400 determines whether a sun focus image exists on a sensor or a video screen provided in the image acquisition unit 1300 (S3200). If the focus image exists It is determined whether the size of the focused image (e.g., the diameter of the focused image) satisfies the reference size R1 (S3300). If the determined result is not satisfied, the interval between the convex lens 1210 and the image obtaining unit 1300 is adjusted The size of the focused image is adjusted to be equal to or larger than the reference size R1 (S3400). The spacing adjustment is performed by a driving unit 1500 configured by a pan tilt. The convex lens 1210 is brought close to the image acquisition unit 1300 so as to be larger than a reference size, have.

Next, the controller 1400 performs a canyon edge transformation on the focused image and the entire image set in size larger than the reference size to obtain a binary focused image and a binary full image expressed in black and white, And performs Hough transform on each image. The center point of the binary focus image and the binary full image are calculated through the Hough transform (S3500), and the controller 1400 divides the center point of the Hough transformed binary focus image into a binary whole image The driving unit 1500 can control the driving unit 1500 to follow the center point.

The control unit 1400 determines whether the deviation between the center points of the binary focus image (Hough transformed) that follows the center point of the Hough transformed whole image under the control of the driving unit 1500 satisfies the error range E1 (S3600) When the error range is satisfied, the tracking is completed (S3700), and in the opposite case, the driving unit 1500 is controlled until the error range is satisfied.

1000: sun position sensor 1100: body part
1200: sunlight shielding part 1300: image acquiring part
1400: control unit 1500:
2000: Solar light collecting unit 3000: Drive unit

Claims (26)

A body portion; A solar light shielding part formed on the body part in a hemispherical shape and having a convex lens on the upper part;
An image acquiring unit for acquiring a focus image for sunlight by arranging a sensor surface in a hemispherical inner circumferential surface of the solar-light-shielding unit toward the surface direction of the convex lens;
A driving unit for rotating a direction of the body part; And
Wherein the convex lens is positioned at an approximate position of the sun in accordance with the ecliptic of the sun in a season and a time frame and the convex lens is positioned at an approximate position of the sun, After adjusting the height,
And a control unit for calculating a center point of the focus image and controlling the driving unit so that the center point follows the center point of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit to perform position control with respect to the lens. sensor.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Acquiring an original image in the image acquiring unit, acquiring a binary focus image for a focus image through a Canny edge transformation on the original image,
A center point of the binary focus image is calculated by performing a Hough transform on the binary image,
And performs position control on the lens so that the center point of the binary focus image follows the center point of the original image.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Wherein the height of the convex lens is increased or decreased when the size of the image formed on the image capturing unit by the convex lens corresponds to the temperature reaching the heat resistant temperature of the sensor surface.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Calculating a coordinate of a center point of the focus image and a center point coordinate of the original image; calculating a position of the convex lens on the basis of a position of the center point of the original image, And stops the control of the sun position sensor.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
When the size of the focus image is smaller than the reference size,
And performs position control on the lens so that the convex lens is close to the sensor surface.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the image capturing unit is formed of an illuminance sensor array.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the image capturing unit is formed of an electronic screen.
The method according to claim 1,
And a cross-shaped arm portion is formed at the center of the convex lens.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the driving unit rotates the body part until the image determined by the controller becomes circular.
A solar photovoltaic apparatus, comprising: a solar photodetector for detecting a sun photovoltaic cell; A body portion;
A solar light shielding part formed on the body part in a hemispherical shape and having a convex lens on the upper part;
An image acquisition unit located on a lower surface of the solar-light-shielding unit and configured by a convex lens; And
And a control unit for analyzing the image formed on the image acquisition unit and determining the position of the sun.
12. The method of claim 11,
And a driving unit that rotates the direction of the body according to the position of the sun determined by the control unit.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
Wherein the image capturing unit is formed of an illuminance sensor array.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
Wherein the image capturing unit is formed of an electronic screen.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
And a cross-shaped arm portion is formed at the center of the convex lens.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
Wherein the driving unit rotates the body part until the image determined by the controller becomes circular.
Sun position sensor;
A condensing unit for condensing sunlight; And
And a drive unit for controlling the direction of the light collecting unit according to the direction of the sun sensed by the sun position sensor.
18. The method of claim 17,
The sun position sensor comprises:
A sunlight shielding part formed on the body part in a hemispherical shape and having a convex lens on an upper part thereof, an image acquiring part located on a lower surface of the sunlight shielding part and forming a phase by the convex lens, A control unit for analyzing the image formed on the acquisition unit to determine the position of the sun; and a drive unit for changing the direction of the body according to the position of the sun determined by the control unit.
19. The method of claim 18,
And the drive unit rotates the condensing unit so as to be parallel to the body portion of the sun position sensor.
Receiving solar light through a convex lens provided in the sun position sensor;
Acquiring an image acquired by the image acquiring unit of the photovoltaic sensor through the convex lens;
Analyzing an image of the control unit provided in the photovoltaic sensor through the convex lens;
Rotating the direction of the solar photodetector according to the analysis result of the controller; And
And rotating the solar concentrator so that the direction of the solar photodetector and the direction of the solar concentrator are aligned with each other.
21. The method of claim 20,
A coordinate system having a center as an origin is set in the image acquisition unit,
Wherein, in the step of analyzing the image passing through the convex lens by the controller provided in the photovoltaic sensor,
Wherein when the image passing through the convex lens is circular and the position of the image is not more than a predetermined distance from the origin, the control unit determines that the sun and the photovoltaic sensor are in a straight line.
21. The method of claim 20,
A coordinate system having a center as an origin is set in the image acquisition unit,
Wherein, in the step of analyzing the image passing through the convex lens by the controller provided in the photovoltaic sensor,
When the image passing through the convex lens is not circular and the position of the image is not smaller than a predetermined distance from the origin, the control unit judges that the sun and the solar photodetector are not in a straight line and rotates the direction of the solar photodetector So as to control the intensity of the sunlight.
23. The method of claim 22,
Wherein the control unit analyzes the image passing through the convex lens while the photovoltaic sensor is rotating so that the phase passing through the convex lens becomes circular and the position of the image becomes less than a predetermined distance from the origin, And rotating the direction of the detector.
24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23,
Wherein the sun position sensor is formed integrally with the sun light condensing device, and the sun position sensor and the solar light condensing device simultaneously rotate according to the analysis result of the control part.
Arranging the sun at an approximate position of the sun to follow the ecliptic of the sun by time and the time zone to locate the convex lens;
Irradiating sunlight through the convex lens to form an original image and a focus image on a sensor;
Adjusting a height between the convex lens and the sensor so that the size of the focused image is equal to or greater than a preset reference size;
Performing a Canny edge transformation on the focused image to form a binary focused image;
Determining a center point of the binary focus image by applying a Hough transform to the binary focus image; And
And tracking a center point of the binary focus image to a center point of the original image.
26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the step of following the center point of the original image comprises:
Calculating a center point coordinate of the binary focus image and a center point coordinate of the original image; And
And determining whether a distance between a center point coordinate of the focus image and a center point coordinate of the original image satisfies a predetermined error range.
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